


slip under my armor

by amante



Series: heaven in hiding [1]
Category: Wonder Woman (2017), Wonder Woman (Comics)
Genre: ALL THE AMAZONS ARE GAY. ALL OF THEM., Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Antiope launching herself into the air off of Menalippe's shield deserves an Oscar, F/F, Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Romance, Spoilers, this is dedicated to Robin Wright's shoulders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-08 22:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11091231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amante/pseuds/amante
Summary: All Amazons have died by the hands of men once in their lives and Menalippe doesn’t believe Antiope will let that happen again. Antiope was the second Amazon to be reborn of clay and rise from the sea bed, she will not fall so easily.She will not.AU where Antiope lives and heals with the help of her partner Menalippe.





	slip under my armor

**Author's Note:**

> I NEED A VERY QUEER MOVIE ABOUT THE AMAZONS PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
> 
> I've borrowed some info from the comics, and tweaked it to my liking, sorry if it's incorrect. I hope you like this!
> 
> I'm also taking prompts for this ship at my tumblr [here](http://amantewrites.tumblr.com/ask) :)

Antiope is made of hard lines and strong curves sculpted by decades of fighting. She exudes strength at all times; even while sleeping there is power in her body. In all the centuries Menalippe has known her she has never been anything less than their commanding general, so it is a shock to see her in her current state.  
  
Deathly white and breathing shallowly, Antiope is lying unconscious on a low bed in a healing room, arms limp by her sides, hair spread over the silk pillow. Menalippe gasps and rushes over to her lover, dropping to her knees on the floor and grasping one of Antiope’s cold hands.  
  
Menalippe has spent the last part of the day holding herself strong like Antiope would want her to. There was nothing she could do while their healers treated her partner so she wielded the lasso of truth, and tried to seem powerful, but underneath she was crumbling to pieces. She may have squeezed the strange man a little too tightly for what his kind did to her sisters, but she doesn't care. She wants to see them all suffer for the deaths they have caused, and if Antiope dies she has half a mind to leave Themyscira to go kill them herself.  
  
Their head healer, Epione, says there is only a small chance Antiope will recover — she has bled heavily and this bullet wound is unlike anything they're used to — but Menalippe believes in her lover's strength. That Antiope is even alive right now after being ripped apart by that awful weapon speaks to her determination. All Amazons have died by the hands of men once in their lives before being remade by the Gods and Menalippe doesn’t believe Antiope will let that happen again. Antiope was the second Amazon to be reborn of clay and rise from the sea bed, she will not fall so easily. _She will not._  
  
“Please wake up,” the lieutenant whispers as she quickly discards her armour and settles herself on the bed, her tears finally falling as she gazes upon Antiope’s soft face.  
  
There is a roaring fire beside them, and fur blankets cover Antiope’s naked body, but Menalippe can't bring herself to look beneath them. She saw the injury on the battlefield – saw her partner collapse instantly in her sacrifice – and had been certain that was the end. It was only as she had screamed and clasped Antiope’s lax hands to her chest that she had felt a faint pulse in her wrists and realised her lover was still alive. Now as she lifts both of Antiope’s cool hands to her lips, attempting to breathe warmth into them, she feels that same weak pulse and feels her panic subside somewhat.  
  
Menalippe’s vision blurs and her sobs echo around the chamber as she wishes the Gods were still alive for her to pray to.

* * *

She’s not sure how it happens but she wakes up curled around Antiope’s comatose body and for once the older Amazon actually feels smaller than her. Menalippe is taller but Antiope is usually so commanding she makes everyone around her feel tiny; it’s strange for her to seem weak. The room is dark around them now, with only the fire illuminating their bodies. Menalippe traces her fingers across the veins in Antiope’s hands, still thinking about how they’re too cold, too limp. These hands taught her how to wield a sword, how to see the stars, how to feel things she didn’t think possible; it’s not right for them to be so lifeless. Her tears have dried on her cheeks and her eyes feel raw, but a sob still escapes her mouth.  
  
“You should rest in your own room,” Hippolyta suggests quietly from where she has slid into the room in full battle armour.  
  
“I’m comfortable right here,” she replies, not taking her eyes off of Antiope.  
  
“It would be best if you went—”  
  
“No, it would not be best,” the lieutenant retorts, finding herself gripping Antiope’s hand harder than before, fingers pressed to her pulse point for strength.  
  
“Need I remind you that I am her sister and your Queen?”  
  
“I am her partner.”  
  
“You are her second in command.”  
  
“And I can still beat you in combat,” she hisses, finally looking up to glare at Hippolyta. She has every right to be here and she will not submit to the wishes of their leader.  
  
The queen softens at that and shakes her head, placing her weapons on the table nearby, removing the heavier pieces of her armour and setting them down next to Menalippe’s.  
  
“I apologise. I fear I am out of sorts… Diana has fled with that man.”  
  
“What?” Menalippe gasps, sitting up and watching as Hippolyta walks around the room to sit on the other edge of the bed, reaching out to stroke her sister’s peaceful face.  
  
“She wants to stop Ares… stop the war of men.”  
  
There is a weariness to Hippolyta which only ever becomes present when Diana is causing her stress, and Menalippe reaches across to place her right hand on the queen’s shoulder, keeping her left one firmly clasped around Antiope’s hands. They must support each other now more than ever. With many of their sisters slain today there is grief and tension in the air, and arguing will not fix anything. Hippolyta smiles at her and then leans down to press a kiss to her sister’s forehead.  
  
“Have faith in Diana, Hippolyta,” Menalippe begins slowly, “She is stronger than she knows… An-Antiope has trained her well… She is ready.”  
  
“I hope you are right,” Hippolyta replies. “And I hope Antiope wakes soon or else her sacrifice will have been for nothing.”  
  
Another sob wracks Menalippe’s body at the thought of her lover dying and she removes her hand from Hippolyta’s shoulder to wipe away the tears she thought incapable of falling from her exhausted eyes. The oldest Amazon makes a hushing noise and gently presses on Menalippe's shoulder until she is lying down again, then settles herself on the other side of her sister.  
  
“She _will_ survive… Antiope won’t let a man’s weapon stop her,” Hippolyta says, sounding fierce again.  
  
Menalippe opens her tearful eyes to smile at her leader, silently thanking her for being strong when she is unable to be.

* * *

Her mouth feels dry when she comes to, bright light shining in her eyes and familiar warmth enveloping her hands. The next thing she notices is the ache in her torso and the wet cloth being dragged along her chest.  
  
“She’s not healing fast enough…”  
  
“Fire won’t fix this.”  
  
“What do we do Epione?”  
  
_Menalippe_ … _Hippolyta_ … She can’t make her mouth form their names. The darkness is taking over again...  
  
“We will try the Purple Ray and pray that it works.”

* * *

For many years it is simply Antiope and her older sister Hippolyta in the world of men, trying to sway them towards peace. They work well as a team, able to convince even the most stubborn of men to love one another. However it is a slow progress, so it is a relief when the Gods of Olympus create Menalippe and more Amazons in rapid succession. They are more effective in greater numbers, teaching mortals to love over the centuries until they finally succeed in creating peace.  
  
Peace, of course, never lasts with Ares around. Men enslave the Amazons and for many years they are trapped until Hippolyta creates a plan for their escape. They train covertly, with Antiope the fastest to learn fighting skills, and Menalippe communicates with the Gods to try and help them escape. Being two of the key players in Hippolyta’s revolt brings Menalippe and Antiope closer together, and by the time the Amazons are safe in Themyscira, the two are inseparable.  
  
With all the Gods but Ares dead, Antiope begins properly training the Amazons for combat with Menalippe by her side as her lieutenant. They will not be able to call upon Zeus this time, but perhaps his daughter, Diana, will be just as good. Menalippe helps Antiope train Diana in secret, making sure Hippolyta doesn’t catch them for many years.  
  
It is after a training session on the small fighting ring atop an inselberg that Antiope and Menalippe first kiss. The sun is setting, they have just sent Diana back to the city before her mother seeks her out, and Antiope is relaxed because her niece is making progress. Menalippe is staring out at the beautiful sky and making a joke about something when Antiope laughs and closes the distance between them.  
  
This kiss is like nothing they have ever felt before; it is like their souls are melding into one, and every kiss between them hereafter feels the same way.

* * *

The sun has set and risen three times now and Antiope still hasn’t properly woken beyond briefly fluttering her eyes and murmuring. The Purple Ray does seem to be working — the deep wound in her chest is now closed over — however it’s not fast enough for Menalippe. Antiope remains bruised and weak, shivering slightly whenever she isn’t covered in thick furs. Menalippe and Hippolyta have not left her side for more than the time it takes to bathe. Hippolyta has left governing in the capable hands of her partner Philippus while she watches over her sister’s recovery. Currently Hippolyta and Philippus are out in the hallway having a hushed conversation interspersed with kisses, and Menalippe is trying her best to not get jealous.  
  
“When you’re better I want us to ride to the far side of the island and dive for oysters,” Menalippe murmurs, stroking her hands through Antiope’s soft blonde hair and going through all her memories of the two of them, making plans for their future. “We’ll go when the nights are long and we can sleep on the grass and you can tell me the names of all the constellations.”  
  
“You should know the names of all the constellations… Unless you haven’t been listening to me?” Antiope’s croaky voice responds.  
  
“Oh!” Menalippe exclaims, sitting up to look down upon her lover’s smiling face. “You’re awake.”  
  
“I’m awake…”  
  
There is love in the blonde’s eyes and Menalippe can’t resist leaning in to kiss her gently, a few tears escaping her eyes as their lips meet. Her heart feels light for the first time in days and she wants this moment to last forever. When she feels Antiope’s tongue against her lips seeking more, she pulls back with a disbelieving laugh.  
  
“ _Naughty_. We need Epione to look you over.”  
  
“I feel… oof… fine,” Antiope grunts as she tries to move and finds her torso is still sore.  
  
The brunette gives her a tender but unamused look before turning towards the door to call out to the other Amazons. Antiope always pushes herself too hard after an injury but Menalippe isn’t going to let her do that this time, not when she came so close to losing her. She reluctantly gets out of the bed and releases Antiope’s hand, finally doing so with the knowledge that her partner is awake and no longer dying.  
  
“Hippolyta! Epione! Philippus! She’s awake!”  
  
The queen is first to enter the room, racing over to her sister and pressing kisses to her forehead and cheeks. Philippus follows her in but hovers to the side with Menalippe, smiling at Antiope and giving the sisters some space. Hippolyta thanks and scolds her sister in the same breath and Antiope simply grins and shakes her head.  
  
“I would do anything for Diana,” Antiope says, glancing around as Epione enters the room. “Where is she?”  
  
“She has run away… to stop Ares,” Hippolyta says grimly.  
  
A smile crosses Antiope’s face and Menalippe bites her lip; of course Antiope would be proud of her niece for leaving against her mother’s wishes.  
  
“Let’s not talk about this now,” Epione interrupts gently. “I need to see how you are feeling.”  
  
Epione assesses Antiope and deems her healthy enough to be moved out of the healing room. She is under strict instructions to spend the next few days resting in bed, save for taking a bath and spending some time in the warm sunlight. Menalippe helps Antiope walk down to the thermal pool — the general refuses to be carried — and carefully watches the tension in her partner’s jaw with every step.  
  
“Are you in a lot of pain?” she asks as they enter the caves.  
  
“I am fine,” Antiope responds.  
  
“No you’re not. I can see you wincing with every step. Let me carry you.”  
  
“I don’t need—”  
  
“It’s just me… Let me carry you. The rocks are slippery,” Menalippe insists, scooping up her partner before she can protest any further.  
  
“ _Hey_!”  
  
“You and your sister are too stubborn for your own good.”  
  
She slowly walks across the rocks and reaches the edge of the warm pools, relieved to see someone has already brought towels and clean clothing for them to change into. She gently lowers them into the waist-deep water and hears Antiope sigh at the feeling.  
  
“Thank you…” Antiope mutters and Menalippe laughs fondly. “Can you…?”  
  
The lieutenant nods and helps rid Antiope of the gown she was dressed in by Epione, then removes her own wet clothes so they are both naked, their bodies illuminated by the glowing water. She slowly surveys her lover’s chest, wincing at the sight of the healing bullet wound and surrounding dark bruise right in between her breasts. She could hardly bear to look at it over the last few days but now it is not so bad.  
  
“Mena… I’m alive,” Antiope’s voice is uncharacteristically soft and Menalippe knows she has been reading her emotions like an open book.  
  
“I know…”  
  
“I am alive,” the blonde growls, taking a step closer to her and cupping her face. Menalippe feels a tear drip down her cheeks —  _how many times has she cried these past few days?_ — and soon she feels gentle lips press against hers. They kiss slowly, savouring each other, before Antiope once again tries to deepen the kiss, and this time Menalippe allows her — after all, she has been craving this for days. The passion between them is bubbling to the surface when Antiope stumbles on the uneven pool floor and hisses in pain.  
  
“Are you—”  
  
“Stop asking. The bullet didn’t kill me. I’m fine,” the injured woman snaps.  
  
“It’s okay to be in pain… You don’t have to pretend.”  
  
“I did not die like our sisters.. I will bear it,” Antiope grunts as she leans against the side of the pool.  
  
“No… you didn’t. And it is not your fault that they did,” Menalippe says, trying not to think too hard about their slain warriors.  
  
“We should have been better prepared. No Amazons should have died.”  
  
“How could we have prepared against those barbaric weapons?” The lieutenant growls, feeling all her anger bubbling up, “We may have lost some sisters but we still _won_. They… they died noble deaths.”  
  
“I should have had a better plan,” Antiope shakes her head. She is a fearless general and an incredible fighter but she has always felt personally responsible for her warriors. Considering they haven’t had a battle in many years it is hard to suddenly lose so many.  
  
“We couldn’t plan for that… We fought the best we could. And Diana will stop their war before they can cause much more harm,” Menalippe tries to reassure Antiope, running a hand down her arm.  
  
“Diana… What happened while I was asleep? Tell me everything.”  
  
“Ohh…” She forgot Antiope didn’t know the full story. “Those German men… They came here hunting the other man that Diana saved. He told us of a great war happening in their realm. Diana believes Ares is causing it. She has taken the God Killer and gone to find him.”  
  
“Ahh,” the blonde nods, her brows creasing cutely in thought — everything she does is cute to Menalippe’s eyes now that she has come so close to losing her. “I have trained Diana well. I believe she will succeed.”  
  
“I do too.”  
  
“Did Hippolyta tell her about—”  
  
“No.”  
  
Antiope growls and smacks a fist down on the water’s surface, then grimaces in pain from the movement. Menalippe sighs and steps forward through the water to place her hands on Antiope’s shoulders, their legs bumping together under the water.  
  
“Let’s not worry about that now. You need to relax. Let’s go into the deep. I will help you bathe,” she murmurs, looking at the other woman with love in her eyes.

* * *

There is a deep ache in Antiope’s chest and it's not just from her injury. She keeps picturing the faces of their fallen sisters, remembers seeing them shot down, and wishes she could have done more for them.  
  
_Orana, Penthiselea, Trigona, Egeria_ … the list repeats in her mind over and over.  
  
She’s been confined to her chambers all day and there isn’t much to entertain her without being allowed outside. She senses Menalippe is behind Epione’s strict orders; her lover has been uncharacteristically commanding and over-protective the last few days. After bathing together yesterday they spent the night in Antiope’s bed but Menalippe pushed away her wandering hands. The lieutenant has never been good at hiding her emotions and still seems very worried so Antiope is doing her best to behave herself.  
  
She's lucky she didn't lose Mena on the battlefield, it was a close battle… and she doesn't know what she would do if she hadn’t been able to protect Diana. She hopes the youngest Amazon is successful in the world of men – based on her training she ought to be – and that she learns to harness her powers. Antiope wishes her sister had told Diana of her real ancestry but she cannot change that now; she simply hopes her niece will remember her words, and tries to remember them herself. _You are stronger than this._  
  
Many of her warriors have come to visit her since hearing about her recovery and as she lies on a chaise lounge outside in the sun she tries desperately not to think about all of the Amazons who haven't come to see her. It's no use; the list repeats in her mind and she swallows her anger.  
  
“Antiope!” Menalippe’s worried voice calls from the bedroom, then she steps onto the terrace and sighs. “How are you feeling?”  
  
The general waves away her concerns dismissively, she doesn't need to be monitored all day long. Her injuries will heal, she is a lucky one.  
  
“I am tired of reading,” she huffs, putting down the book she hasn't even glanced at.  
  
“Would you like some music? Or, perhaps—”  
  
“No. None of that,” Antiope wants to _feel_ something.  
  
“You are too tired to fight anyone, even in training,” her lover says, as if able to read her thoughts.  
  
“I could—”  
  
“No, Antiope.”  
  
This is the first time Menalippe has ever had to command Antiope not to do something in the many years they've been together. As her second in command, it is usually Antiope giving the orders in battle and when they're together they share the power equally. It's somewhat arousing to be on the receiving end of Menalippe’s fierce tone.  
  
“Fine… Come here?”  
  
She stretches her arms out childishly and sees confusion briefly sweep across the brunette’s face before she breaks into a smile. Antiope isn’t usually so cuddly and pouty; her near-death experience is making her soft. Menalippe joins her on the chaise lounge, hovering over Antiope to kiss her softly before lying down beside her. They wrap their arms around each other and Antiope watches as she feels the tension leave Menalippe’s frame. It is nice to not be alone, relaxing is much easier when she can focus on something other than her morbid thoughts. She observes her partner for a few moments, seeing the warring sadness and happiness on her face, and she sighs, keeping her emotions contained.  
  
“What have you decided for the funerals?” she asks quietly.  
  
“We will burn their bodies tonight on the beach…” Menalippe sighs. “We will still be in mourning but we need to be prepared in case those awful men return.”  
  
“So will we resume training?” Antiope asks, hating feeling useless in bed.  
  
“Yes. The day after tomorrow.”  
  
“Great. I will prepare—”  
  
Menalippe raises an eyebrow at her before she can finish her sentence and Antiope shuts up, still amused by the new dominance in her partner.  
  
“ _I_ will run training,” the lieutenant says. “You may observe. From a chair. At a distance.”  
  
Antiope sighs but nods, still seeing fear behind Menalippe’s eyes and she doesn’t like that she’s the reason for it. She brings her hand up to cup the younger Amazon’s face, watching the sun highlight the golden ends in her hair, making her look like a goddess. Menalippe turns her head towards her hand and she runs her thumb over those gentle lips, tempted to kiss them again.  
  
“I love you,” Antiope murmurs.  
  
She feels Menalippe’s lips move into a smile against her thumb and the corners of her eyes crinkle with happiness. Antiope doesn’t say _i love you_ all too often but she always means it. She prefers physical acts — touches, kisses, looks — to express how she feels to her soulmate.  
  
“I love you,” Menalippe whispers back before kissing her gently.

* * *

The funeral pyres are lined up along the beach. Menalippe and other uninjured warriors have been building them for days while Niobe, their high priestess, prepares for the ritual. They haven’t lost anyone in a long time and it's horrible to have had over a dozen of their beautiful sisters killed by those men. Niobe says a prayer and invites everyone to say one last goodbye as the sun sinks low on the horizon in front of them.  
  
The general and her lieutenant hold hands as they move from pyre to pyre, touching their warriors’ faces one final time and wishing them well in the Elysian Fields. Menalippe has been crying since they stepped onto the beach but for Antiope it is not until they reach Orana’s body — one of their fiercest archers, always at the front of any battle — that she can’t hold herself together any longer.  
  
A scream-like wail leaves her and she collapses into the sand, her body heaving with her sobs. Menalippe crouches down behind her, pulling her back against her chest and clutching her hands in hers. Hippolyta races over to try and soothe her sister but Antiope can’t restrain her tears any longer. She has trained these women for years and years, they have shared everything with each other. And now they are all dead because of some barbaric men. She tries to remind herself that they died nobly, and she _is_ proud of them, but it is hard for her to to cope with losing so many women she loves.  
  
Antiope feels like she is in a fog, barely aware of anything other than pain and the wretched noises she is making. Her chest hurts and she feels dizzy but she has no control. Her only anchor to the ground is her lover’s and her sister’s hands and voices surrounding her somewhere outside the bubble of her grief.  
  
“Antiope, breathe…” Menalippe whispers, breaking through the fog.  
  
“Take your time… just breathe,” her sister adds.  
  
She eventually claws her way back to focus. Menalippe is kissing her hands, fingers digging into her wrists, and cuddling her from behind, while Hippolyta crouches in front of her and strokes her fingers through her hair. She feels brutally exposed, especially when she sees many other faces staring down at her. She doesn’t usually show emotion like this, preferring to keep it hidden inside so that she can be the stern general they all need. She hopes they won’t treat her any differently after this.  
  
The two women help her to her feet and Philippus approaches to hand her a silk cloth to wipe her face. With their support she walks on shaky legs back away from the pyres to join the crowd of remaining Amazons. They have all been crying, or still are, and that makes Antiope feel better about herself. She wipes at her eyes, blinking rapidly to try and stop any more tears from forming. She feels exhausted and leans upon Menalippe as they turn to watch Niobe light the pyres aflame. The sky is a dark purple now and when the wood catches on fire the orange light is a beautiful contrast reflecting off the sea in front of them.  
  
Menalippe clutches one of her hands tightly while Antiope reaches for Hippolyta’s hand with her other. Slowly all of the Amazons join hands until they are all connected in their semicircle as they farewell their lost sisters and thank them for their sacrifice. Niobe recites the final passage to farewell their souls as they leave through the flames to go to the Elysian Fields.

* * *

“Ti, you are still injured…”  
  
“I need you,” Antiope whispers. “ _Please_.”  
  
“I... “ Menalippe sighs, needing her too. “Roll over.”  
  
They are out on the terrace, lying on the chaise lounge watching the stars, neither of them wanting to sleep just yet. They have heavy hearts from the funeral but being together is helping them heal. Antiope is lying over Menalippe, one leg in between the brunette’s, both of them in loose dresses since they haven’t been training, and they can feel every inch of each other.  
  
Antiope eases herself back onto her back, thanking Menalippe’s judgement when her bruised chest immediately hurts less. The lieutenant straddles her gently, every movement graceful, and leans down to initiate a searing kiss. Their hands wander each other’s bodies, tugging dresses off and revealing tanned skin to the moonlight. Menalippe’s hands brush over Antiope’s chest for the first time, and it’s a strange sensation to not feel anything where the scar from her bullet wound is right between her breasts. Her lover lowers her mouth to kiss the healing wound before paying attention to the rest of her chest.  
  
The blonde skims her hands over Menalippe’s body, journeying over familiar hard and soft flesh. When she finds a particularly soft, warm spot, the brunette gasps above her and trails her fingers down to repay the favour. They come together, locking eyes in the dim light and moaning each other’s names as they give and take pleasure.

* * *

Two days later, after visiting her horse to make sure he wasn’t affected by the battle, Antiope settles herself in a chair and watches as Menalippe runs their warriors through warm up drills; Menalippe said she wasn’t going to let them off easy today just because they are all grieving. The lieutenant is channelling their stoic general today and the woman in question could not be prouder of her partner.  
  
After a few intense sprints, Menalippe instructs everyone to pair up and spar, and she walks up the stairs to where Antiope is watching from above. She wants to honour their fallen warriors by training harder than before, and she knows the blonde feels the same way. She stops beside her and places a hand on Antiope’s shoulder, over the scar she once caused in training, and smiles down at her lover, partner, leader, soulmate.  
  
Together they can survive anything.


End file.
